JPH1188564A - Image processing unit and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the processing unit and the method that decrease image quality of an image outputted from the image processing unit depending on the user. SOLUTION: In the step S201, image information outputted from a host computer is received. In the step S203, user identification information is stored in an identification information storage section. In the step S206, image data stored in a transmission reception buffer are stored in a raster storage section. In the step S207, a pattern addition section adds a specific pattern denoting user identification information stored in the identification information storage section to image areas included in the image data stored in the raster storage section. In the step S208, image data by one page stored in the raster storage section are outputted from an image output section.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for preventing forgery of a specific document such as bills and securities. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As image processing apparatuses such as printers and copiers have been improved in image quality and color, there has been a social problem that specific documents such as banknotes and securities that should not be copied are copied and used. Might be.

In view of the above, many image processing apparatuses having a function of prohibiting copying of a specific original such as bills or securities have been proposed. A method has been proposed in which a part of a document is compared with a specific document pattern registered in advance in an image processing apparatus to determine whether the document to be copied is a specific document such as a bill or a securities. .

Further, a method has been proposed in which a specific pattern (for example, information such as a device number of an image processing device) is added to all the images output from the image processing device to facilitate tracking and searching for a counterfeit copy. Have been.

[0005]

However, the above technique has the following problems. In an image processing apparatus that compares a part of a document image with a pattern of a specific document registered in the image processing apparatus in advance, a banknote in a country not registered in the image processing apparatus or a new bill after the image processing apparatus is shipped. However, there is a problem in that it is not possible to determine whether or not a bill is issued as a special manuscript such as a bill or securities by comparing similarities.

Further, in a method of adding a specific pattern to an image output from an image processing apparatus to facilitate tracking and searching for a counterfeit copy, a pattern is added to the entire output image. There is a problem of deterioration.

[0007] The first invention of the present application is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for reducing the quality of an image output from an image processing apparatus according to a user.

Another object of the present invention is to add a pattern for specifying an image processing apparatus without deteriorating the image quality of an output image.

[0009]

The present invention has the following configuration as one means for achieving the above object.

[0010] An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an image processing means for reducing the image quality of an image input from an external device in accordance with user identification information, and a recording medium for outputting an image output from the image processing means. And a forming means for forming the same.

Further, identification means for identifying an image area of an image inputted from an external device, addition means for adding a specific pattern to the image area identified by the identification means, and image output from the addition means On a recording medium.

Further, image processing means for reducing the image quality of an image input from an external device according to the user identification information, identification means for identifying an image area of the image, and image identified by the identification means The image forming apparatus further includes an adding unit that adds a specific pattern to the area, and a forming unit that forms an image including the image area output from the adding unit on a recording medium.

[0013] The image processing method according to the present invention includes a forming means for setting an image quality of an image input from an external device according to user identification information, and forming the image with the image quality set on a recording medium. It is characterized by.

Further, an image area of an image input from an external device is identified, a specific pattern is added to the identified image area, and an image including the image area to which the specific pattern is added is formed on a recording medium. It is characterized by the following.

Further, the image quality of an image input from an external device is reduced according to the user identification information, an image area of the image is identified, a specific pattern is added to the identified image area, and the specific pattern is An image including the added image area is formed on a recording medium.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laser beam printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, an image processing apparatus including a laser beam printer as a printer engine will be described as an example. However, the printer engine is not limited to this, and may be an inkjet printer or the like.

The LBP 1500 is an image processing apparatus having a laser beam printer as a printer engine (hereinafter referred to as “printer 1500”), and is connected to an external device such as a host computer. And print information such as a character code output from the host computer,
Form information, macro instructions, and the like are stored, and corresponding character patterns and form patterns are created according to the output print information and the like, and an image is formed on a recording medium such as recording paper.

The operation panel 1501 includes switches for controlling the image processing apparatus, an LED display, and the like. The image processing apparatus control unit 1000 converts the character information output from the host computer into a video signal of a corresponding character pattern,
02 and the like. Laser driver 150
Reference numeral 2 denotes a circuit for driving the semiconductor laser 1503, which switches on / off a laser beam 1504 emitted from the semiconductor laser 1503 based on a video signal output from the image processing apparatus control unit 1000.

The laser beam 1504 is applied to a rotary polygon mirror 1505
To scan and expose the surface of the electrostatic drum 1506. By this scanning, an electrostatic latent image of a character pattern is formed on the electrostatic drum 1506. The electrostatic latent image formed on the electrostatic drum 1506 is
After being developed by a developing unit 1507 disposed around the sheet 6, the image is transferred to a recording medium such as a cut sheet such as a cut sheet. The recording paper is stored in a paper cassette 1508 mounted on the LBP 1500,
9, L by the feed roller 1510 and the feed roller 1511
It is taken into the BP 1500 and supplied to the electrostatic drum 1506.

The LBP 1500 has at least one or more card slots (not shown) so that an optional font card and a control card (emulation card) having a different language can be connected in addition to the built-in fonts.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the laser beam printer 1500 shown in FIG.

The host computer 300 is connected to the printer 1
500 and a control unit 301 via a cable, a network, or the like. In addition, the authority to use the printer 1500 (hereinafter referred to as “printer use authority”) is set based on the user ID of the user who is logged on to the host computer 300. For example, a table for storing a user ID, a password, a printer use right, and the like as user identification information in a storage medium provided in the host computer 300 in advance is created, and a user who is logged on to the host computer 300 can use the printer. When printing an image from the printer 1500, the user identification information is extracted from the table described above, and the printer 1
500 to the control unit 301.

The authority to use the printer means that when an image is printed from the printer 1500, the user who has issued the image print request changes the resolution (image quality) of the output image. For example, when a rank is set for the printer use authority and a user with a high rank of the printer use authority uses the printer 1500, an image can be printed at a high resolution (for example, 600 dpi or more), and a user with a low rank can use the printer 1500. If used,
If the setting is made so that the image can be printed at a low resolution (for example, a resolution such as 200 dpi or less that can be recognized as a copied original), the user can use the printer 1500 to print the image to be printed from the printer 1500 for each user. You can change the image quality. Further, the setting of the printer use authority is performed by the printer 150 as well as the host computer 300.
0 can be set from the operation panel 1501 or the like.

The control unit 301 receives user identification information (user ID,
Password, printer use authority, host name, user's telephone number, etc.), image data, and image information such as print commands. The CPU 302 controls the entire control unit 301 of the image processing apparatus. The transmission / reception buffer 303 is a buffer for temporarily storing image data and the like output from the host computer 300.

The program ROM 304 stores the printer 15
00, an image processing program 310, and the like. The image processing program 310 is executed by the CPU 302, for example, a process of expanding image data described in a page description language output from the host computer 300 into bitmap data, and the image quality of a print image set by the image quality setting program 308. Based on the resolution, a process such as changing the resolution of the image data stored in the transmission / reception buffer 303 is performed.

The font ROM 305 stores character fonts. The RAM 306 functions as a work area when the CPU 302 executes an image processing program and the like, and as a raster storage unit 307 for storing image data of one page.

The image quality setting program 308 is executed by the CPU 30
2 and sets the resolution information of the image quality of the print image based on the printer use authority included in the user identification information output from the host computer 300.

In the present embodiment, the resolution is changed in order to change the image quality of the image to be printed, depending on the printer use authority included in the user identification information. The number of gradations that can be recognized as a document) may be changed. Alternatively, a plurality of printers having different resolutions may be prepared, and the printer to which the image is printed may be changed according to the printer use authority included in the user identification information.

Further, as a condition for switching the image quality of an image to be printed, for example, a host computer connected to a telephone line or another network (a plurality of networks connected by a gateway, a router, or the like) sends a print request to the printer 1500. If there is, a condition may be set so that the image is printed at a low resolution.

The image output unit 309 is for outputting an image to a storage medium such as cut sheet paper.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control unit 301 provided in the printer 1500 shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the description will be made assuming that the image information (for example, user identification information, image data, print command, etc.) output from the host computer 300 is described in a page description language.

In step S301, image information (user identification information, image data, print command, etc.) described in the page description language output from the host computer 300 is received, and the received image information is temporarily stored in the transmission / reception buffer 303. To be stored. In step S302, it is determined whether the image information output from the host computer 300 is user identification information. If the image information is user identification information, the process proceeds to step S303; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S304.

In step S303, the image quality setting program 308 sets the image quality resolution information of the print image based on the printer use authority included in the user identification information output from the host computer 300. Step S
In 304, if the information output from the host computer 300 is a print command, the process proceeds to step S306,
Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S305.

In step S305, based on the image resolution information set by the image quality setting program 308,
The resolution of the image data stored in the transmission / reception buffer 303 is changed and stored in the raster storage unit 307. Then, the process returns to step S301. In step S306, the image data for one page stored in the raster storage unit 307 is output by the image output unit 309.

In this embodiment, in order to prevent counterfeiting of bills, securities, etc., a pattern indicating information unique to the image processing apparatus and user identification information are used by the configuration example of the laser beam printer 1500 shown in FIG. A specific pattern that is a pattern shown can be added to an image area included in image data.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the laser beam printer 1500 shown in FIG.

The identification information storage section 108 is a RAM for storing a specific pattern which is a pattern indicating user identification information. The pattern addition program 111 adds a specific pattern such as a pattern indicating the user identification information stored in the identification information storage unit 108 to the image stored in the raster storage unit 307. The image area separation program 112
The image data included in the image data output from the host computer 300 is identified. The device pattern storage unit 113 stores device numbers and the like, which are information unique to the image processing device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control unit 101 provided in the printer 1500 shown in FIG.

In step S 201, the first description in the page description language output from the host computer 300 is made.
The image information (user identification information, image data, print command, etc.) for the page is received, and the received image information is temporarily stored in the transmission / reception buffer 303. Step S202
Then, it is determined whether or not the image information output from the host computer 300 is the user identification information. If the image information is the user identification information, the process proceeds to step S203; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S203.
Proceed to 204. In step S203, the user identification information is stored in the identification information storage unit 108.

In step S204, if the image information output from the host computer 300 is a print command, the flow proceeds to step S207; otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S205. In step S205, based on the header information of the image data stored in the transmission / reception buffer 303, character data, graphic data,
The image data is identified from image data such as photographs and the like, and print area information of the image data is held in the RAM 107. In step S206, the image data stored in the transmission / reception buffer 303 is stored in the raster storage unit 307.

In step S207, the raster storage unit 3 executes the pattern addition program 111 based on the print area information of the image data held in step S205.
07, a pattern indicating the user identification information stored in the identification information storage unit 108 and a pattern indicating the information unique to the imaging device stored in the device pattern storage unit 113 in the image area included in the image data stored in the image data 07. Is added. In step S208, one page of image data stored in the raster storage unit 307 is output from the image output unit 309.

Here, a technique for identifying image data from image data and a technique for adding a pattern indicating user identification information to the image data are known, but character data, graphic data, and photographs included in the image data are known. It is a feature of the present invention to add a pattern indicating the user identification information to only the image data among the image data such as.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the resolution of an image to be printed is changed according to the printer use authority included in the user identification information. Even if you try to print from a printer, you cannot print the image at high resolution. Even if a user with high authority to use the printer illegally copies a specific document such as a bill, it is impossible to identify the user who made the illegal copy because the number of users with high authority is limited. is not.

Further, in order to prevent counterfeiting of bills, securities, and the like as in the prior art, a pattern indicating information unique to the image processing apparatus and user identification information is not added to the entire printed image, but is printed. When an image includes image data such as character data, graphic data, and photographs, a pattern indicating information unique to the image processing apparatus or a pattern indicating user identification information is added only to the image data, thereby deteriorating the image quality of the printed image. Can be prevented.

[0046]

[Other Embodiments] Even if the present invention is applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus (for example, a copying machine) Machine, facsimile machine, etc.).

Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, and to provide a computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus.
And MPU) read and execute the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0052]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for reducing the quality of an image output from an image processing apparatus according to a user.

Further, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method to which a pattern for specifying an image processing apparatus can be added without deteriorating the image quality of an output image.

[0054]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laser beam printer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a laser beam printer 1500 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a control unit 301 provided in the printer 1500 shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a laser beam printer 1500 shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a control unit 101 provided in the printer 1500 shown in FIG.

Claims (15)

[Claims] An image processing unit configured to reduce image quality of an image input from an external device in accordance with user identification information; and a forming unit configured to form an image output from the image processing unit on a recording medium. An image processing apparatus comprising: 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adding unit that adds a specific pattern to the image output from the image processing unit. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specific pattern is a pattern indicating information unique to the image processing apparatus or a pattern corresponding to the user identification information. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit changes the resolution or the number of gradations of the image. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user identification information is information unique to a user. 6. An identification unit for identifying an image area of an image input from an external device, an addition unit for adding a specific pattern to the image area identified by the identification unit, and an image output from the addition unit Forming means for forming the image on a recording medium. 7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the specific pattern is a pattern indicating information unique to the image processing apparatus or a pattern corresponding to user identification information. 8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image area is an image area including a photographic image or a gradation image. 9. An image processing unit for reducing the image quality of an image input from an external device according to user identification information; an identification unit for identifying an image area of the image; and an image identified by the identification unit. An image processing apparatus comprising: an adding unit that adds a specific pattern to an area; and a forming unit that forms an image including the image area output from the adding unit on a recording medium. 10. An image processing method comprising: setting image quality of an image input from an external device according to user identification information; and forming the image with the image quality set on a recording medium. . 11. An image area of an image input from an external device is identified, a specific pattern is added to the identified image area, and an image including the image area to which the specific pattern is added is formed on a recording medium. An image processing method comprising: 12. The image quality of an image input from an external device is reduced according to user identification information, an image area of the image is identified, a specific pattern is added to the identified image area, and the specific pattern is An image processing method comprising forming an image including an added image area on a recording medium. 13. A storage medium storing a program code for image processing, wherein the program code is for reducing image quality of an image input from an external device in accordance with user identification information; A program code for forming an output image on a recording medium. 14. A storage medium in which a program code for image processing is stored, wherein the program code is for identifying an image area of an image input from an external device, and the image code is specified in the image area identified by the identification means. And a program code for forming an image output from said adding means on a recording medium. 15. A storage medium storing a program code for image processing, the program code comprising: a step of reducing image quality of an image input from an external device according to user identification information; A program code of a step of identifying; a program code of a step of adding a specific pattern to the image area identified by the identifying means; and a step of forming an image including the image area output from the adding means on a recording medium. A storage medium characterized by having a program code.